Defensive end Iyo Idowu scooped up a bad pitchout and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage, and the Tommies went on to a 28-14 victory over Wisconsin-Oshkosh in an NCAA Division III football semifinal game Saturday, Dec. 8, at O'Shaughnessy Stadium.

"It was mirror image of last time," said Idowu, who returned a fumble 86 yards for a touchdown two weeks earlier in St. Thomas' 24-17 victory over Elmhurst (Ill.) in a second-round game. "I just was hoping I was not as slow this time."

The No. 3-ranked Tommies (14-0) continued to dominate on defense, holding Oshkosh to 25 yards rushing, in advancing to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl national championship game for the first time in school history. St. Thomas will face longtime Division III power Mount Union (14-0) at 6 p.m. Friday in Salem, Va.

Top-ranked Mount Union needed a 34-point fourth quarter to rally past Mary Hardin-Baylor 48-35 at Alliance, Ohio in the other semifinal. The Purple Raiders have won 10 national championships.

No. 5 Oshkosh had come back in three straight playoff games to win, but three lost fumbles and an interception doomed the Titans (13-1) against St. Thomas.

All-America quarterback Nate Wara's fumble on the botched opening pitchout was his first of the season.

"We've been doing that a lot lately," Oshkosh coach Pat Cerroni said of being down early. "It caught up to us today."

The momentum continued on the following possession when the Tommies blocked Nate Becker's punt.

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Sophomore Kyle Coyne got his fingers on the ball, and Ryan Deitz snatched it up.

The early lead allowed St. Thomas coach Glenn Caruso to gamble on offense. The Tommies went for it on fourth down twice on the same possession and were successful both times. That set up a third touchdown in the first quarter for St. Thomas, a 17-play drive that drained eight minutes off the clock.

Tommies quarterback Matt O'Connell did not have his sharpest game. The sophomore finished 14 of 23 passing for 156 yards and added 59 rushing yards and three scores, but he was intercepted twice and lost a fumble.

"He was able to get key first downs when we needed him to," Caruso said. "He is wise beyond his years."